


Until We Have Faces

by parasitic



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Angst, Death, Embalmer, Exploration, F/F, F/M, Gen, M/M, Mortician, Multi, Murder, Nygmobblepot, Other, Psychopathology & Sociopathy, Riddles, Season/Series 01, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Stalking, The Riddler - Freeform, Violence, embalming
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-27
Updated: 2017-02-05
Packaged: 2018-09-12 15:29:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,977
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9078739
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/parasitic/pseuds/parasitic
Summary: Fernanda Garcia is an embalmer's apprentice at a local funeral home in Gotham- having moved there because of the vast opportunities in excelling in her field of work. She may know about the corruption that goes on in Gotham and knows better than to get involved in it personally, but what happens when she witnesses a murder?





	1. Silence

_I disappear every time you say my name. What am I?_

  
After two tiresome years at a mortuary school, Fernanda Garcia found herself on the train directly to Gotham. She had heard that Gotham was a great city to begin your apprenticeship thanks to the fact that the city boasted a high crime rate. Sure, she was aware that such an opportunity would come with it's struggles- especially since she didn't really know anyone in Gotham. She had barely had time to relax back home when she had received the news that she had been accepted to work at the mortuary she had applied to in Gotham. The move was not something that excited her, especially since she had never quite lived on her own. 

When she had broken the news to her parents, they were distraught as they assumed that she would have gotten a job near by, but she had made it clear to them that Gotham was the perfect city to begin. It was perfect, she would get to work on many different cases in such a short amount of time. To say the least, it was an opportunity that she would not let pass her by- she had taken the job as quickly as they had called her. Even though she had accepted the job without a thought, she now found herself growing anxious. She had read about Gotham and it's high crime rate, she knew all about the corruption, but what made her anxious the most was whether she would even survive the first night alone in her new apartment. She had seen the ad in the newspaper- the apartment seemed like it was in a good neighborhood, but she wasn't sure whether she should have trusted the photograph. She knew photographs lied- but even then, she had come. 

Interlacing her fingers on her lap, she breathed in deeply. _All is well_ , she thought, _nothing to worry about as of now_. 

* * *

 

 

Fernanda arrives at the Gotham train station at around four in the afternoon- having left her home at around six that morning would have put her trip at exactly ten hours. Her eyes feel groggy as she walks out of the train station, but as soon as she feels the cold air on her face- the grogginess fades as she notices the fog that has only begun to settle. She wipes the sleep from her eyes as she calls over a taxi and loads her belongings into the trunk of the car. 

"Where are ya headed miss?" the taxi man asked as Fernanda closed the door behind her. 

Looking down at the crumpled piece of paper on her lap, she read the address aloud as he nods as he begins to pull out of the train station. 

Outside, she sees people busying themselves with their tasks at hand. She notices merchants out on the streets as they try to sell their produce and every few blocks sees as someone gets hassled or robbed. The fog had begun to settle as the time had passed, but she could still see out of the taxi car window. 

"So what brings a lady like yourself out to Gotham?" the driver asked. Fernanda notices his attempt at small talk as she continues to stare out of the window.

"Work, I suppose." she replied as she crumples the piece of paper again and places it on her right jacket pocket. 

"Is that so? What kind of work you do?" 

"I'm an apprentice of sorts." The reply comes out rushed- something that was unintentional. She did not want to spill every last detail to this stranger, she had barely arrived to the city and the least she wanted was trouble. It was obvious the man would be no trouble looking at the belongings in his car. A picture of his wife and three children sits on his dashboard. Rosary beads dangle from his rearview mirror- a sign that he is a man of faith. Prescription medicine in his front seat. A gun on his waist band- something that he would use only for his own protection. 

"There's many that come for jobs out here. Most that have sat where you are sitting have said that it is a city of opportunity." The man stated as he tried to keep his eyes on the road, "I would say otherwise."

"And why is that, sir?" She knew what he was referring to, but if she was going to find out more about the city she was going to stay in- she would rather play the clueless card. Any information, or advice, he could have for her would be valuable. 

"There are eyes on every corner. If you're not working for the mob, then you would be working against them, and if that is so..." The man clicks his tongue as he points toward the photograph of his family, "Best if you don't. They will take everything you hold dear."

Fernanda furrowed her brow as she looks up at the man, maybe she might have misread him. "Did they take your family?"   
She had known that Gotham was corrupt, but it was mostly through word of mouth that people talked about these things. She did not know that Gotham was run by a mob. She was now unsure of the man that was driving. And with that, she was beginning to feel like this might have been a bad idea.

"Threatened more like. My sweet angels are alright. It's a lesson you would never forget." The car comes to a complete stop as the driver looks back and rests his arm on the front seat, "As a newcomer to Gotham, I would make sure to stay out of trouble. Especially a young lady. Can't ever be too careful in a city like Gotham."

Fernanda held his gaze a moment longer as the man begins to speak again, "That will be-"

She hands him the fifty dollar bill and opens the door, "Keep the change."

The man helps her unload her belongings from the trunk of the car as he excuses himself and leaves her standing in front of the large building. She hears the rattle of the train tracks above her as she heads into the building. 

* * *

 

A week had passed since Fernanda had arrived in Gotham and the amount of cases she had seen come and go into the funeral home was absurd. It astonished her how many families had come and gone to say their last farewell to their loved ones. She was even more surprised that such a quantity came through the funeral home's doors since it was a family owned one. She would have expected cases like these to go through larger, company owned funeral homes, but family owned ones? Well, she had expected less. She was grateful though, this would only help her improve. 

After the third day, the embalmer that had been supervising her had let her finish her own cases from start to finish. It was something that took her by surprise, but what surprised her the most was her willingness to finish the cases on her own without his help. The slight smell of formaldehyde was something that she quite disliked, even through mortuary school- she had not grown accustomed to the smell. And now, here, she was surrounded by formaldehyde throughout her entire work day. It was something that she had grown to tolerate by the end of the week. 

Now, as she headed home, she held the trocar that she always carried in her cross body bag, in a tight grip as she walked quickly towards her apartment. So far, her walks back to her apartment building had been uneventful especially since she lived quite close to her place of work. It wasn't that she was complaining about how uneventful her walks had been thus far, but she had assumed that something would have happened by now. 

As she reached her apartment building, Fernanda was relieved that she worked mornings through the afternoon and not the night shifts. Something that she had thought that she would have to fight for was what time she could come in, but to her surprise it had been quite the opposite. The night time shifts had been filled, the early and afternoon shifts had been open. Although the funeral home had not been under-staffed. She rarely saw the other employees of the home. 

Fernanda sighed as she began to reach for her keys as she began to step up her front steps. She stopped midway as she began to feel an odd feeling- as if someone was staring at her. She reached for her trocar quickly as she turned around only to find a young man with glasses sitting at his car. His car was parked just a few feet down the curb of where her apartment door was at, how she had not noticed the young man sitting there was beyond her. He grinned up at her as he just stared at her and then focused his attention to a building just on the other side of the street. 

Fernanda quickly grabbed her keys again and quickly opened her door as she stepped inside and locked the door behind her. Although the young man had probably meant no harm, she could not shake the shiver that had run down her spine as he had grinned at her. 

* * *

Another week has passed and the young man in the clean car hasn't missed a day. The grin comes and fades as each day passes- his longing stare only returning to the house just on the other side of the street. There are times when Fernanda wishes to ask if he is alright, but she doesn't for fear that she might interfere in something private. Although she has walked by his vehicle plenty of times now, she hasn't really been able to look inside to see what sort of individual he is. But by the way he sits in his car throughout the days during the same periods of time- she realized that he must be a very meticulous individual; perhaps not the kind to hurt a living creature, not even a fly. His car is too clean, one would assume that he could be hiding something, but Fernanda cannot tell. His appearance is well-kept, fingernails clean. 

As of late, Fernanda had caught herself staring out her window down at the man below. She couldn't help but think about why he was there until she noticed a young women come out of the house he had been staring at. Another young man picking her up. Her hair high in a pony tail as she fixed it and walked to get in his car. The other man in the glasses, now covering his face behind a notebook.   
Another week passes and the same incident happens each night the woman is picked up by her lover. Throughout this exchange, Fernanda says nothing. She smiles politely at the man in the car now, as he grins back at her and goes back to staring at the house opposite her street. 


	2. Death

  
  
_It begins but has no end... yet it ends all that begins._   


Work passes by just like any other day, the cases keep getting more and more gruesome, but it was something that Fernanda had been looking forward to. Of course she knew that this would require more work and patience, but she was ready at whatever the streets threw her way. She found herself wearing more protective gear as the days had passed- which was something that she should be doing anyway. She had only worn one pair of gloves each time she went to lab while she was studying in mortuary school, but now out here she found herself wearing two pairs of gloves. Most of the cases she received were of loved ones who died of natural causes or not so natural causes unlike how it was stated on their death certificate. 

Fernanda washes her hands up to her elbows twice once her work shift was over. She was always careful not to miss any spot that may have been exposed. For someone who worked with death on a daily basis, she was sure paranoid of catching something at work that could cause her own death. She wasn't particularly afraid of death, but she did not want to die. She often wondered what happened after death. She knew that most people believed in a soul, but she was unsure. How could there be such a thing? It was all chemical in the end, she thought. She looked up at the large mirror in front of her as she stared at her appearance- dark brown eyes staring back at her. She shook her head as she began to wash her hands for the third time and then dried them off. _I won't be paranoid again_ , she thought as she fixed her short, dark brown hair. 

Fernanda had been hydrophobic ever since she could remember. The thought of having some microscopic organism on her that could potentially cause some fatal disease created some sort of distress for her- which was why she made sure to think about it as less as possible. She knew she could have picked a different field, one where she could be less paranoid about her health, but she had always been fascinated by death- it was somewhere where she could feel normal.   
During her time as a student, she had felt at home whenever they began to talk about death, so she knew that she was not the odd one out. But, so far, she had made no friends at the funeral home. She had been spending all her time alone. She had not gone out with anyone outside of work and had spent her time in her apartment watching television or reading. She was growing bored of the same routine, but there was nothing she could do. She didn't deny the fact that she had thought about maybe talking to the man in the car, but her own thoughts and conclusions stopped her from sparking up a conversation with the stranger. It didn't even bother her anymore that he was always outside staring at the house opposite hers. At first she had thought it was odd, but now she thought nothing of it- the fellow was probably trying to muster up the courage to speak to the young woman, or he was only there to protect her. The thought that he was possibly stalking the woman had indeed crossed her mind, but Fernanda had pushed it away from her thoughts.

* * *

The walk back home was cold and uneventful so far. Fernanda wrapped the coat over her chest as she walked down the street as the familiar car came into view. The cross body bag at her side as she got closer to her apartment. Just then, she began to hear footsteps behind her as they got louder and quicker. Fernanda grabbed the strap of her bag quickly as someone jerked the bag from her shoulder.

"No!" She yelled as she pulled on her bag's strap before the person yanked the bag from her grasp and took of running. Without a word, the person ran without looking back and darted onto the next corner and out of sight. "Fuck," Fernanda stated as she stood there looking straight ahead. The sound of footsteps and a slight shuffle to her left distracted her from her thoughts as she turned her gaze to notice that the young man in the car had stepped out from his car and had began to walk toward her.

"Are you alright? Did he hurt you?" The man asked as he fidgeted with his glasses.

"No..yes, damn it." Fernanda responded as she brought a hand to her face, "He just stole one of my favourite novels."

The man stared back at Fernanda as he grinned and gripped a notebook in one hand, "You are quite lucky that man only stole your bag and did not put a gun to your head."

"Yeah well... at least the bag only contained a book and a trocar... and a few pieces of paper." Fernanda groaned as she drug her hands in her pockets. 

"I'm Ed. Nygma. I would advise to go to the GCPD, but they are incompetent in finding people; it is highly probable that they will never find your bag or the culprit."

"I would much rather not get lost- especially since it will get dark soon. But nice to meet you, Ed Nygma. I'm Fernanda Garcia." She responded as she outstretched her hand toward Ed. Ed looked down at her hand and then quickly shook her hand as he grinned back at her.

"Glad to meet you, Ms. Garcia." He shook her hand for a little longer than she was usually used to, but she stayed quiet as they broke the handshake.

"I don't mean to be nosey, but you're always out here around the same time... Why is that?"

Ed grinned at her once more as he looked down at her, "I can start a war or end one, I can give you strength of heroes or leave you powerless, I might be snared with a glance, but no force can compel me to stay. What am I?"

Fernanda only stares back at him cluelessly as he stares at her expectantly. The one thing she had never been good at and this was with what he chose to lead with... riddles. She furrowed her brow as she thought about it and finally gave up as nothing came to her.

"I really don't know... I was never good at these things. What is it?"

"Love!" He exclaimed as he gripped his notebook tighter and grinned at her. "Ms. Kringle lives there and so I've been protecting her from the men she goes out with. I don't want any harm to come to her."

"Ah, I see." Fernanda states as her suspicions are answered. So he was here for a woman, but whether it was stalking or not was up for debate. For the first time in weeks, she finally had a chance to see this person up close. His crisp suit in perfectly placed on his tall frame. His hair neatly placed back and his glasses- unlike her own- were crystal clear. She had noted his clean fingernails, but now noticed his hands which looked delicate.

"Have you eaten? Would you like some supper?" She found herself asking as she looked up at him once more.

Ed hesitated for a while, Fernanda noticed. _He was probably trying to sort his thoughts out before he answered_ , she thought, _an individual who thinks before he speaks- well noted_.

"Thank you..for the offer, I mean. But, I should probably get back to my car. Shouldn't leave my post." He stated as he awkwardly laughed to himself and stepped back, "Maybe next time."

"Yes, sure. I'll see you tomorrow then, Mr. Nygma." Fernanda smiled at him as he retreated back to his car and as she walked up toward her apartment steps and went inside.

* * *

  

> That night Fernanda dreams of Ed Nygma. The dream seems so vivid that she believes it is really happening. He is courting her and giggling like a teenager all the while he just spews riddles at her that she can't seem to figure out. 
> 
> "I can start a war or end one, I can give you strength of heroes or leave you powerless, I might be snared with a glance, but no force can compel me to stay. What am I?" He recites the riddle again as he she tries to say the answer only to find out that her voice can't be heard.
> 
> "Love!" He screams back at her now, "It's love, love, love!" He is chanting it now. 
> 
> The setting shifts and she is now sitting alone in a darkened kitchen as a figure approaches her. 
> 
> "I am life, I am death." It says as it walks passed her and into another room. Fernanda stares down at the plate in front of her and notices the notebook that Ed had in his grip. On it she reads the same riddle from before but the words love are scratched all over it in red ink.

Fernanda awakes in the middle of the night to shouting coming from outside her bedroom window. She breathes in deeply as she remembers the dream and rubs her eyes as she begins to climb out of her bed. She walks toward the window groggily and peers below to see Mr. Nygma and the young man that the supposed Ms. Kringle was seeing. She sees as the other man, who appears drunk from his apparent rowdiness, closes the gap between him and Mr. Nygma. Just then she sees as the other man pulls his arm back and hits Mr. Nygma in the stomach. Just as she's about to open her window to shout at the two men to stop, she notices the shiny object that Nygma pulls from his pocket as he begins to stand up. Fernanda freezes in place as she sees Ed plunge the knife into the man's abdomen once...then twice until he he begins to stab him multiple times. The man drops to his knees as he looks up at Mr. Nygma and then collapses on his back. 

Fernanda stands there in shock as she sees Nygma stand there in shock for a few seconds and begins to laugh, then look out at the lifeless body in shock once again. He begins to look back and around the buildings as Fernanda finally crouches toward her floor to stay away from view. She brings a hand to her mouth as she sits there in shock. She knew she should be calling the police, but she was beginning to reason with herself- something that didn't happen. She knew the morally correct thing to do was to phone the police, but... wasn't it self-defense? _Mr. Nygma stabbed the man multiple times_ , she thought, _is that really self-defense? Isn't it murder?_


	3. Secret

  
  


_If you have me, you want to share me. If you share me, you haven't got me. What am I?_

Fernanda awoke the next day with a slight headache as the memories of last night came rushing to her. Now, as she laid there with eyes open, she was unsure of whether what she had seen had really been there. She stood up quickly and ran to the window as she peered outside. She was unsure of what she had been expecting, possibly police officers and the familiar coroner's car coming to pick up the body. Fernanda knew that if what had happened last night had actually happened, she should go to the police department. She remembered what Mr. Nygma had told her about the police department in Gotham- that they were incompetent.   
Fernanda stood near her open window a moment longer until she decided on what she would do. She remembered all those cases she had seen thus far and the cases she had worked on during her stay at the mortuary school, most of those bodies were never claimed by their families. She felt bad, she knew the correct and moral thing to do was to say something to the police department- even if that meant that there was a possibility that they would never find the killer. What if Ed Nygma hadn't even been his real name? Fernanda ran her hand through her hair as she tried to focus her thoughts. She looked down once more as she noticed the door to the house on the other side of the street open as a red-headed woman stepped out. That must be the girl... Kringle, was it? She stood watching her for a few more moments as Kringle picked up some of her mail and went on inside once more.

After a few more minutes of deliberation, Fernanda began gather her things and prepared to head out. She knew what she had to do, and nothing would change that. She was kind of surprised and shocked at the thoughts she had had. How could she even think about not going to the police to report what she had seen? She, of all people, should know how a death like that would affect loved ones. Not knowing where your son or partner is, is devastating. She knew this would come as a shock to the family, but it was better to know what happened to your loved one than not know at all.

Coming out the door, Fernanda began walking towards the nearby bus stop. She wasn't sure where the police station was located, but hopefully the bus driver would have some insight and give her directions somewhere. As soon as she had arrived, Fernanda noticed the familiar red hair she had seen from her window. Kringle. Fernanda smiled as she arrived and stood next to her. She tried not to make eye contact as she looked away.

"I've never seen you around here." Fernanda heard a voice to her right.

 

"Excuse me?" Fernanda asked as she turned in the direction of the voice.

 

"I mean, the same people wait on this bus stop. Just something out of the ordinary.." Kringle responded as she smiled, "Hi, I'm Kristen."

 

Caught off guard, Fernanda forgot to respond back for a few seconds before she replied back, "Fernanda. Actually I just moved here a few weeks ago. I just haven't had the chance to ride the bus yet."

 

"Oh, are you the one that is now staying on the house across the street?"

 

"Yes, that would be me." Fernanda responded as she tried to smile politely. "It's a relief to have a normal conversation with someone. I haven't had the chance to just make small talk with someone since I arrived to Gotham."

 

Kristen laughed, "Yes, well.. most people around here aren't worth talking to. You can never trust someone completely around these parts."

 

Fernanda internally struggled as that reminded her of what she had seen last night. Kristen was right about trusting people around here. Nygma had seemed like a nice person, until all of that was shattered with what had happened.

"Where are you headed?" Kristen asked breaking the silence and bringing Fernanda back to reality, "Maybe we can do something after I get off work. I need a girl's night since it seems my boyfriend forgot to call me last night."

 

Fernanda knew she shouldn't say anything, especially not to her since it was now apparent that the man that Nygma had killed was indeed her lover. Fernanda shouldn't be the one to deliver the news. Who was she to even begin to spread this around? It was something that had to be kept on the down low, the only people she had to tell were the officers at the Gotham City Police Department. They would handle all of it, even the part about telling Kristen what had really happened to her boyfriend and why he hadn't called last night.

"To the GCPD." Fernanda blurted out as she mentally slapped herself.

 

"Did something happen? Why would you be going there?"

 

"I don't know. I shouldn't really discuss this in the open. I just have to see what can be done." Fernanda kept word vomiting everything, except she excluded most of the details- thankfully.

 

"If it's something important and you want it done, you should see Detective Gordon. He'll know what to do. Trust me, I work there. He's been catching criminals since day one."

 

Before she could respond, the bus arrived and everyone started to get inside. Fernanda now knew she was at the correct bus stop, so there had been no need to talk to the bus driver as she stepped inside the bus and took a seat towards the front with Kristen at her heel.   
Throughout the whole bus ride, Kristen kept talking about things that didn't catch Fernanda's attention. It was great that Kristen just kept talking and hadn't noticed that Fernanda had tuned her out as soon as she had opened her mouth.

By the end of the ride, and as they arrived at the GCPD, Kristen had set plans for both of them to go out on the town and explore the city with a few of her other co-workers. The only other thing that Fernanda had learned about Kristen, that was worth noting anyway, was that she was the archivist for the GCPD. Initially, Fernanda had thought that maybe she was a secretary, by the way Kristen presented herself and acted.

Once they had stepped out of the bus and walked toward the GCPD building, Fernanda's breath caught in her throat as she stared at the daunting structure before her. Kristen kept by her side as they stepped through the front doors and as Kristen excused herself- Fernanda's eyes wandered around the inside of the building as she tried to take in the different structures until her eyes landed on a familiar face. Nygma. His face faultered as she noticed him and began walking toward her. Passing by Kristen, he smiled and politely said good morning to her.  
Fernanda stood there for a moment unsure of what to do until someone bumped passed her. An officer holding someone in handcuffs passed by her as the individual looked at her with a crooked smile.

 

"Ms. Garcia. Are you here to report your missing hand bag?" Nygma asked as she turned back toward his direction. Nygma towered her by inches, but somehow she did not feel intimidated by him and yet..

 

"Yes." Fernanda responded quickly, too quickly even for her to comprehend what she had just said. What else could she possibly say? No, I came here to report you to the authorities for killing that man last night. Of course not. That would be the stupidest thing she could do. "I was quite fond of that trocar and novel that were in my bag."

 

Nygma smiled at her as he began to open up his small notebook. Fernanda recalled the last time they had met and how he had held his notebook right before he had asked her a riddle.

"I'm not good at riddles, Mr. Nygma." He lowered his gaze. "But, I would love to hear some, some other time. I just have to report this."

 

His smile came back just as Fernanda had added the last statement, "I know just the man. Detective Gordon will help your belongings- it's a guarantee. Follow me."

Fernanda walked up a step of stairs and made her way toward two desks that faced each other. To her right, a light-haired bearded man with a hat sat eating a donut as he argued with the man on the opposite desk. This man had slicked, dirty-blonde hair and a harsh, deep voice.

"Harvey, we both know there is no way in and out of that building. It's like-"

 

"Excuse me, Detective Gordon. A word?" Nygma interrupted the detectives as he stood in front of both desks.

 

"Who's your friend, Ed?" The man, Detective Harvey Fernanda assumed, asked as he looked over at her- while putting his donut down. A few sprinkles still on his shirt and a few wisps of frosting stuck to his beard.

 

"I have lots to say but never speak, I open but you cannot walk through me, I have a spine but no bones." Nygma responded as he ignored Harvey's question.

Detective Gordon looked at Nygma and then at Fernanda as he now stood in front of Nygma, "Book. What is this about?"

 

"Well, Ms. Garcia was robbed of her belongings and she came to report the incident. Those belongings were in a brown leather bag with a golden pin in the front- it included a book and a trocar. Items dear to her. I thought who better than Detective Gordon to-"

 

"Ed, I'd love to help, but I can't be running around Gotham for a book and a - what was the other thing?" Detective Gordon asked as he looked from Nygma to me.

 

"We- it's an instrument used in the prep room. I work in a funeral home- I'm an embalmer's apprentice."

 

"Look, Ms. Garcia. I've got a lot of work to do. Most stolen items are never found around Gotham- it's a fact. But, if I find any bag that matches that description, I will notify you; that's all that I can do."

 

"Thank you. Sorry for interrupting your conversation- apparently Mr. Nygma doesn't know when it is alright to speak out of turn." Fernanda smiled at both detectives as Gordon smiled at her and Harvey laughed from his seat.

 

"Ain't that the truth." Detective Harvey said from his desk.

 

"I mean, I am grateful to you, Mr. Nygma. I should just stop talking and let you continue with your work. I've probably interrupted enough."

 

"Not at all." Detective Gordon responded as he held her gaze a moment longer before he responded, "I should be getting to work, but if there are any more problems- give us a call. Come on, Harvey." He said as he grabbed his jacket and began to walk down the steps and towards the doors.

"Call any time. Even if there are no emergencies." Harvey said as he wrote on a small paper and handed it to her- a business card. "His number's on the back too. Can never be too careful right? Anyway, see you around, miss."

 

"I can help you. We can look for your handbag together." Nygma finally spoke. For a moment, Fernanda had forgotten that he had been there this whole time. "I'm sure we can find the individual who stole it."


	4. IIII: Reformed

_"I believe the only way to reform people is to kill them."_

 

Fernanda found herself standing outside of Kristen Kringle's home at eight in the afternoon. They had agreed to meet outside of her house to have their 'girls night out' which also included some of Kristen's friends. Fernanda was still unsure of why she was invited to this- she had barely met Kristen that same day.   
By what Fernanda could tell, Kristen seemed to have trust her too quickly- something that had annoyed her for quite some time now. She knew she posed no threat to anyone- she was not one for starting fights, but wouldn't it mean that she looks weak in the eyes of others? It was a thought that had always plagued Fernanda since she had realized why others were so quick to trust her.   
Fernanda has also been unsure of what to wear for the night, so she had settled for a black button up shirt and some black pants- it wasn't that she had no sense of fashion, but she wasn't really looking for anything- especially not in Gotham. For the few weeks she had been in this city, she had realized that there were no people worth pursuing so because of that, she hadn't put any effort in her appearance since she had arrived. She dressed comfortably and professionally- just because of her apprenticeship at the funeral home. That was the only thing stopping her from wearing shirts that were three sizes too big. The only thing she did do differently than what she normally wore for work, was put on heavier makeup.   
Her work was not necessarily strict, but she did sometimes have to attend to families that came in the funeral home, so she couldn't wear the kind of makeup she liked. She always had to dress more subtle... act more subtle.   
Fernanda was suddenly brought back from her thoughts as she heard the jingle coming from the door.

"Fernanda, are you ready?" Kristen asked her as she walked outside of her doorway and locked it behind her. Kristen had fashioned her hair down with a roll on one side. Fernanda observed her as she locked the door and turned around- she wore a dark purple dress with a black hem. Black peep toe heels and a silver brooch that sat atop of her right breast. "Why are you not wearing a dress?"

 

"I didn't feel in the mood- especially around here." Fernanda replied, it was not the truth, but not a lie either. That had also played a role in why she had chosen not to wear a dress. She was still not sure what else could go wrong in these parts of the city- she was still a bit shaken from the incident when she had had her bag stolen from her. Well, just a bit shaken.

 

"Oh." Kristen said as she looked at her for a second before she spoke up again, "Evelyn is just around the corner.. come on."

* * *

 

Once they had arrived to the club that Kristen and her friends had dragged Fernanda to, she had lost sight of them amongst the people. Back home, she had never been to places like this, even when she was away at college, it was an experience that she was getting the opportunity to be a part of for the first time in her life and she was alone. She had drifted to the back towards where the bartender was serving drinks to people. Leaning a bit forward she ordered something and as soon as she got the drink she took it in her hands and stared down at it. Fernanda began to wonder whether she should have come in the first place, she knew that Kristen was not in a good state of mind since she was still thinking about Tom, the man that Fernanda had seen getting murdered by Nygma in front of her house earlier that day, and how he had not contacted her yet. She knew that Kristen was out having fun with her friends and trying to forget about it, but Fernanda felt a bit annoyed that she had been dragged out here, only to be left alone the second they got in. 

 

"Hey... Fernanda, right?" She heard someone ask beside her as she looked and spotted one of Kristen's friends from the car ride.

 

"Yes. Evelyn, correct?" Fernanda asked as she smiled at her. She knew her name- she remembered all of their names, but she had gotten in a habit of asking people just to make sure. 

Evelyn had seemed the odd one out of all of Kristen's friends- Fernanda had caught sight of her as soon as she had gotten in the car. Sure, Evelyn, from what Fernanda had gathered, was not the craziest of the bunch, but she seemed like someone who could get a bit wild if she had to. She was the only one out of the girls who had sported a black long sleeve dress, red harness, and dark makeup; almost like what Fernanda was wearing on her face- apart from the black lipstick.

 

"Yeah. Not having fun?" Evelyn asked as she ordered a drink for herself.

 

"Not sure." Fernanda lied as she took a drink from her glass. The ice cubes bumping on her top lip slightly. "Not really my crowd. Although I don't think I would know what my crowd was to begin with."

 

Evelyn cracked a grin as she grabbed her own glasses from the bartender, "Not your style huh? I was hoping you would say that."

 

"Why's that?" Fernanda asked as she turned to face Evelyn who downed her drink in one go. 

 

"Finish your drink and I'll show you, come on."

 

Fernanda anxiously downed her own drink in one go as she followed Evelyn through the crowd of bodies swarming to the rhythm of a song she had never heard before. She followed Evelyn outside of the club and across the street to another building. She could hear the music even standing outside where all the other people stood in line waiting to get inside.

 

"Is this another club?" Fernanda asked as she walked toward the line to wait.

 

"Yes, come on. We don't have to wait." Evelyn said as she pulled on her and linked her arm in hers as they walked toward the person guarding the door. 

 

"Eve.. plus one." Evelyn told the man as he took one look at me and nodded as he let us go through.

 

"I take it as you come here often." Fernanda said as she walked beside Evelyn up darkened stairs that were illuminated by violet lights.

Fernanda could feel the beat of the song as they walked up the stairs. The sound of heavy beats echoed through her as she walked beside Evelyn and entered another room.

"You could say that." Evelyn responded as she lead her into the room that was illuminated by the same violet coloured lights as the ones that had illuminated the stairs. There were people dressed in black swaying to the music while others were sitting on leather coaches as they conversated with eachother. Fernanda's eyes darted toward another set of stairs and then another open archway which, by the way people were coming in and out, she could tell was probably another room with different types of music. 

Fernanda felt a bit overwhelmed, but not as overwhelmed as she had felt in the other club where the music was a bit too soft and the lights were a bit too bright. Here, she did not feel judged as no one seemed to be paying any attention to her and she was happy that she could blend in easier with all the sea of darkness. 

The night progressed in a blur of black and purple as Evelyn dragged Fernanda to the middle of the dance floor with the swarm of bodies dancing to the beat of the music. Evelyn had also bought them drinks as sort of a "new friendship" type of thing. Fernanda had to admit that she was having fun with this person- she was now glad that she had come- this had exposed her to a new friendship, one that hopefully would be good. 

 

"I'm tired. I'm just going to hang out and check the place out for a bit. You want another drink?" Fernanda said into Evelyn's ear as she tried to keep her voice down.

 

"Nah. I'll find you in a bit. They keep playing my songs!" She said as Fernanda nodded and walked out of the swarm of bodies and onto the outskirts of the dance floor. From this angle, the dance floor seemed larger than what it had looked like from he inside. Fernanda began walking towards the room they had first been in and was reminded about the stairs that led up towards the second floor- after a few moments, she found her way through the people and made it up the stairs. She was greeted by groups of people sitting in more black leather couches and another bar with another dance floor. To her far right, she noticed more stairs that led upward. Fernanda began to wonder how many floors this place had, she had noticed that the building had not been high enough to have more than three floors. The next room caught her off guard as she was greeted by dark red lights and people in stations being whipped, amongst other things. A bit bewildered, Fernanda explored deeper as the thumping of the music vibrated through her entire body- it almost felt as if her heart was beginning to thump to the rhythm of the music. 

This was the first time that Fernanda had seen these things, she certainly had not been sheltered from such behaviors, but she just simply hadn't had gone out that much back home- so she never got to experience the world around her. She was unaware of what this was, sure she had witnessed many things while she was studying, but this was unlike anything that she would ever find in textbooks or in journals. She found herself lingering at one in particular- a man was being tied with rope in an intricate pattern as he laid on a metal like device. At this point, Fernanda was unsure of whether it was just the alcohol in her system or if it was really her own self that wanted to stay a while longer and watch what happened next. She made herself wander deeper until she was brought to yet another dance floor. This one was still adorned with the red lights, just as the other room had been. The music in this room seemed to be unlike anything she had ever heard, there was a lot of movement coming from the dance floor as she walked into it- unsure of what to expect. Fernanda walked into the dance floor and found herself standing in the middle of it. She glanced around at the people dancing around her, none of them giving her as much as a glance. Glancing upward after a few moments of standing in the middle of the dance floor, Fernanda locked eyes with someone on a balcony over the dance floor. The man stared intently at her as a grin spread over his features- she didn't know what to do so she just continued to stare at the man as he held her gaze a moment longer.

 

"Fernanda! There you are. I've been looking all over for you." Evelyn said into Fernanda's ear as she looked over at her. It had startled Fernanda, she had not expected her to yell into her ear- trying to be heard over the loud music. 

Fernanda glanced upward again, but the man she had seen before was no where to be seen. "Sorry. I- I was just looking around."

 

"I see you found your way up to this floor. Didn't know you were into this kind of thing." Evelyn said as she laughed.

 

"I'm not. Well, I've never experienced this before to say the least. It was quite eye-opening." She said as she began to walk out of the dance floor with Evelyn at her side. "Is this the last floor?"

 

"Yeah. I mean, sometimes people rent out the balcony up there." Evelyn said as she motioned back to the balcony, "Although I don't think anyone is up there tonight. Why?"

 

"No reason, just curious." Fernanda responded quickly. She didn't feel like mentioning the man she had seen in the balcony before Evelyn had distracted her. For one, she didn't know who the man was- she assumed that Evelyn would only ask questions that she didn't have the answer to so she chose to remain quiet about the encounter.

Throughout the rest of the night, Fernanda could not shake the feeling that she was being watched. And with that came the memory of the man looking down at her grinning- something about the way he had looked at her felt off, but she just couldn't think why it had felt that way. The red light had illuminated his pale skin in a way that made it seem as if he had red skin- which could have been a reason as to why it had felt off. The only other thing she had noticed about him was that he had no hair and was in all black- his clothing was a bit forgettable since everyone she had seen thus far had been in black clothing. 

Even once they left the building to meet up with Kristen and the rest of her friends, Fernanda felt that she was being watched. She glanced back at the building before she got in the car and she noticed the man outside of the club- watching her intently. She felt something in her throat tighten as she stared back at him until he was out of sight. 

 

  
** A/N: I don't know about this, let me know what you think thus far. **


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